{"id":24231,"date":"2019-04-15T17:27:32","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T22:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=24231"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:41:40","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:41:40","slug":"pre-med-should-i-become-an-emt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/medical-school\/pre-med-should-i-become-an-emt\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre-Med: Should I Become an EMT?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019ve always wanted to be a doctor or developed an interest in the science of medicine in your college years, gaining pre-med clinical experience is going to go a long way toward making sure that this is what you want to do for the rest of your life. Medicine is a rewarding career but it has its ups and downs just like any other line of work, and the more exposure you have to the realities of medicine, the more prepared you\u2019ll be to make this huge decision. One way pre-meds choose to gain clinical experience is by serving as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) either as volunteers or paid employees. If this is a path that interests you, here\u2019s what you can expect from EMT training and more information on EMT roles to help you decide.<\/span>
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Do your research.<\/h4>
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\nBefore you choose to train as an EMT, do some research\u00a0on whether you\u2019ll be able to find work after you finish your training program. Just obtaining an EMT certification isn\u2019t enough to list it as a clinical experience on your application. It\u2019s also not a good use of your time and energy if you\u2019ll never be able to use the skills you learned. One of the challenges will be finding part-time EMT work that will work with your school and extra-curricular schedule and many companies do not have part-time slots for brand new EMTs. This means you might have to commit to a full-time schedule if you want to work, which is going to be tough to manage. So while it might be a much more exciting way to spend your clinical experience hours, there are other things you can do that will fit into your undergrad life.<\/span>
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Choose your timing carefully.<\/h4>
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\nYou can find EMT-B, or EMT-Basic, courses on your campus through a continuing education division, at a community college, or technical school. Depending on your state, you\u2019ll spend 100-200 in a classroom or online classroom lecture setting, plus practical labs, observations, and studying on your own on top of that. This can end up being a huge time commitment, especially if you\u2019re studying at the same time. If you choose to take your EMT course during your semester, assume that the required time commitment will be similar to a for-credit class. Look at your schedule and see if this will hurt your grades or take time away from your MCAT prep. If you can, get your certification before your toughest academic years or during the summer when you have more flexibility. Overall, the training can take as little as 2-3 months in an intensive setting, or as long as a year. Plan for associated costs, including tuition, materials, and the costs of becoming certified. <\/span>
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Start your training.<\/h4>
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\nDuring your classroom time, you\u2019ll learn the basics of emergency care, including how to transport patients. You\u2019ll get to practice everything you learn during \u201clab\u201d hours. During your training, you\u2019re expected to demonstrate your ability to think critically and make fast, accurate assessments under stressful conditions. There may be a clinical component to your course that involves actual patient care in real-life scenarios. You might experience this during a \u201cride along,\u201d where you hop on an ambulance and learn from veteran EMTs. In class, you\u2019ll also cover topics such as:<\/span><\/p>\n
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  • Medical, legal, and ethical issues in EMS<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Anatomy and physiology<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Respiratory emergencies<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Cardiac emergencies<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Environmental emergencies<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Neurological emergencies<\/span><\/li>\n
  • OB\/GYN emergencies<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Traumatic emergencies<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Ambulance operations<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    EMT certification training will teach you about providing basic life support, how to provide pre-hospital care for injuries and illnesses, and how to work in an ambulance. At the end of your training, you\u2019ll need to pass the national certification exam administered by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, which involves a written and practical exam. There are opportunities for advancement if you want to deepen your commitment to emergency response, including more advanced training for EMTs or becoming a paramedic.<\/span>
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    EMT FAQs<\/h3>
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